Ngannou becomes free agent as he leaves PFL

Francis Ngannou has left the PFL and is now a free agent in mixed martial arts.

The former UFC champion joined the PFL in 2023 but has fought just once for the MMA promotion, while also overseeing its expansion into Africa.

Ngannou, 39, has not fought in MMA since October 2024.

“The PFL has made the decision to part ways with Francis Ngannou,” the PFL said.

“We wish him success in the next chapter of his combat sports career.”

Ngannou’s exit from the UFC in 2023 was a massive moment in MMA as one of the sport’s biggest stars opted to walk away from the world’s biggest promotion.

The Cameroonian has advocated for fighters to have greater control of their careers and to be paid better, given the comparison in their earnings to athletes in other major sports.

Ngannou previously said two fights in boxing earned him more than his entire 14-fight UFC career combined.

Those boxing bouts were not organised by the PFL but with boxing promotions.

A return to the UFC may be on the cards with the heavyweight division struggling for consistency since Ngannou’s exit.

Briton Tom Aspinall is the current UFC champion, but has not fought since October and underwent double eye surgery in February.

Ngannou’s career now stands at a crossroads. The PFL experiment, although definitely a moral win for Ngannou, hasn’t quite worked out as both parties would have wished.

Key to that deal was Ngannou being permitted to box, which he did, and being the face of PFL Africa.

But Ngannou’s notable absence from the inaugral PFL Africa event last year hinted that things behind the scenes were not harmonious.

A lack of potential opponents for Ngannou in the PFL was a clear issue with the fighter himself much bigger than the PFL brand.

His status sky rocketed when he came close to beating Tyson Fury in a boxing contest 2023 and he went on to face Anthony Joshua in 2024, which ended in a knockout defeat.

The PFL struggled to deliver an event or opponent worthy of Ngannou’s brand.

But that doesn’t mean his options are now limited. The Netflix MMA event in May seems an obvious opportunity for Ngannou, should his ambition to be continue fighting.